paarina

Paarina is a term used in speculative ethnography to denote a traditional ritual practice of the fictional Paarin people of the Lirial Archipelago and, by extension, the related textile motif associated with that practice. In the literature, paarina embodies both performance and design, functioning as a social mechanism to transmit memory and communal identity.

Etymology and origin: The term is reconstructed from the Paarin language, where 'paa' means 'memory' and 'rina' denotes 'thread' or 'line'; early attestations appear in ceremonial songbooks from the coastal settlements of Naya and Kethra, dating to the early second millennium of their calendar.

Practice: A paarina performance combines a sung cycle with a weaving session. Performers gather during harvest festival, led by an elder singer. The songs recount historical events and lineage, each verse paired with a weaving pattern symbolizing memory. The weaving results in a textile used in ceremonial attire.

Scholarly reception: In-world scholars discuss the paarina as an example of intangible cultural heritage, noting its role in social cohesion and intergenerational transmission. Some critics argue that the practice has been romanticized in later accounts, and call for fieldwork to document variations among villages.

Related concepts include intangible cultural heritage, ceremonial song, and traditional weaving motifs.